31 July 2012

PKR
today unveiled the second part of its proposed automotive policy by
presenting a three-year phase-out of the “inequitable” approved permits
(AP) system to import cars by 2015.

According to its director of strategy Rafizi Ramli (right),
the plan will generate RM2.8 billion in government revenue to cushion
the initial impact of a reduction in excise and vehicle sales tax,
estimated to be about RM8 billion a year.

In the three years,
PKR proposes that APs be sold through a three-tier open bidding system,
with the opening bids for energy-efficient cars starting at RM10,000,
ordinary cars at RM20,000 and RM30,000 for high-powered cars.

“We
believe that the average price for each AP can reach RM40,000 each
year. At an estimated 70,000 APs per year, this will generate revenue of
RM2.8 billion a year,” he said.

He said that the gradual
implementation was proposed to avoid shocks to the economy, and to allow
the economy to grow following the cut in excise tax.

Encouraging competition

He
added that the bid system is unlikely to bump up car prices, as the
actual price of the APs in the informal market today is already at an
estimated RM30,000 to RM40,000 and this is already translated in the
prices.

“Like any other thing, it is best to leave the car prices
to the market. If (dealers) have to bid (for the right) to bring in
cars then they have to play around with their own margins.

“Now
the buffer for margins is way to big and the profit is at the expense
of the people. If you implement this, dealers have to compete among
themselves and it will move towards market pricing of cars,” he said.

He
added that the present system breeds “cartels” who are colluding to set
the prices of APs and the bidding system allows more players to enter
and the competition would in turn control end prices.

Also at
the press conference was PKR's Pantai Jerejak Adun Sim Tze Tsin, who
pointed out that most APs are hoarded by a handful of people.

“In
2004, 50 percent of the 66,227 APs given out were given to three
corporate figures or companies. In 2005, 68,300 APs were given out and
41 percent went to the same people - the late SM Nasimuddin Amin (of
Naza Group), Syed Azman Ibrahim and Mohd Haniff Abdul Aziz,” he said.

“This is the injustice of the system. It only enriches corporate figures with close connections with power.”

'Gov't will recover tax revenue'

The
duo added that the mooted automotive policy favours direct taxation and
private sector driven economy, which they said will be accelerated when
the RM8 billion is returned to the economy.They added that the tax
revenue loss will be recovered “to a certain extent” even in the absence
of the goods and services tax.

“The RM8 bil will go to the
people, who go to restaurants, contribute to small businesses, who in
turn pay more in corporate taxes. Small business owners also pay
personal income tax.

“Government should be less involved in
economic activity and the engine of growth should the private sector...
instead of the government taxing our money and giving it to
government-linked economy to drive the economy,” Sim said.

Rafizi
claimed that the Malaysian economy is growing at this pace today
largely due to government pump priming and that the private sector has
not recovered since the 1998 Asian financial crisis.

“What is happening now is that GLCs and moving outside and repatriating their profits back to Malaysia,” he said.

“The Malaysian market is slow and this deprives the government of direct taxes which is a lot higher than expected GST revenue.”- malaysiakini

Excise duty for cars to be scrapped gradually...

PKR's
proposal to scrap the excise duty on cars will be done gradually, so as
to soften the blow on the second hand car market, the party has
explained.

"The scrapping of the excise duty must be gradual, so
that the value of existing second hand cars will go down in stages. It
must be balanced out," PKR director of strategy Rafizi Ramli clarified
on Twitter today.

He said a drop in car prices would not lead to an influx of cars on the roads and cause massive traffic jams.

Car
prices, Rafizi explained, do not fluctuate easily as cars are not
everyday goods and changes in prices would not have immediate impact on
the numbers of cars purchased. 'Not everyday goods'

"It
is a vehicle, not everyday goods. If people have more money, they are
likely to upgrade to a better car, rather than buy more cars," he said,
noting that car sales slumped in 2006 and 2007 despite a drop in prices
2006.

To upgrade, users would need to sell off their cars and in
the event that there is a drop in the value of second hand cars, users
would more likely wait until the value of their cars matched the
outstanding loan.

Later, speaking to reporters at the PKR
headquarters in Tropicana, Petaling Jaya, Rafizi said the nuts and bolts
of PKR's proposed automotive policy would be detailed next Thursday by
its de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim.

"He will announce the whole
mechanism. We will present the policy concept and answer questions on
the value of second hand cars, car volumes on the street, car loans and
so on," he said.- malaysiakini

A policeman pleaded not guilty to six charges in the magistrate's court in Seremban today before three different magistrates.

In
the court before magistrate Mohamad Izwan Mohamed Noh, Inspector Mohd
Azuan Yasin, 32, was charged with two counts for voluntarily causing
grievous hurt and committing criminal intimidation on one Mohamaed
Nadzeem Zainal Larifin, 25, with a black object which looked like a
pistol at about 2.50am at the lobby of Hotel S2 here last July 17.

He
was also charged with committing the similar offences on one Koh Wen
Gio, 32, also using a similar black object, at the same place and time
before magistrate Haslina Basarudin.

Mohd Azuan was also charged
before Mohamad Izwan with committing mischief by smashing the windscreen
of car belonging to one Tan Chee Luan, 25, at a coffee shop in Temiang
at about 5.45am on the same day.

He was also brought before
magistrate S Megaswary and was charged with another count of committing
mischief by ripping the door of a car belonging to one Tan Chee Hold at
the same time and place.

Mohd Azuan was allowed bail of
RM4,500 for all the charges, with one surety for each charge, and all
the cases were fixed for mention on Sept 13.

Mohamad Izwan and
Haslina also ordered the footage of a recording from a closed circuit
television camera (CCTV) which had been posted on www.youtube.com with the title "Polis Memukul Pekerja Hotel di Seremban" (Police Beat Hotel Worker in Seremban) to be removed from the website immediately to avoid prejudice against the accused.

Deputy
public prosecutor Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin prosecuted in all the
cases, while Mohd Azuan was represented by lawyer Hanif Hassan.- malaysiakini

30 July 2012

The drawn-out exit of two Sabah Barisan Nasional (BN) leaders over the weekend is likely to delay a general election from a firm September date to the end of the year as the ruling coalition works to retain its “fixed deposit” in the Borneo states, say sources.

BN sources in Sabah and Kuala Lumpur say the pledge by Tuaran MP Datuk Seri Wilfred Bumburing and Beaufort MP Datuk Seri Lajim Ukin to support Pakatan Rakyat (PR) is among reasons that Datuk Seri Najib Razak is re-looking dates for a snap poll after Budget Day on September 28 for his personal mandate, some three years and three months after taking power in April 2009.

“It is not likely in September now although Umno and its partners are ready for the polls,” a BN source from Kuala Lumpur told The Malaysian Insider.

Sources had earlier told The Malaysian Insider
that a snap poll was likely to happen in September if Najib carries
through a plan to dissolve Parliament in August, nine months before the
BN mandate expires in April 2013. There have been a few dates bandied
about in the past year although the country’s sixth prime minister has
expressed confidence of sweeping the majority of all state and federal
seats.

Before the latest defection, BN controlled 22 out of the 25 federal
seats in Sabah and one in the Federal Territory of Labuan. In Election
2008, BN lost its customary two-thirds parliamentary majority largely
due to significant losses in the peninsula, where it won just 85 seats
while the opposition swept 80 seats.

BN’s saving grace was in Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan where the pact
trounced the opposition and made a near-clean sweep, winning 55
parliamentary seats to the opposition’s two. But after the weekend, BN
now controls 136 federal seats while PR has 76 seats, SAPP two and eight
independents in the 222-seat Dewan Rakyat.

A Sabah BN source also said a September date is unlikely due to the
latest developments in the state, as the ruling coalition will have to
ensure there are no serious ramifications from the walkout by the two
senior Sabah MPs. Lajim is a deputy minister and Umno supreme council
member while Bumburing is the United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut
Organisation (UPKO) deputy president.

“They both don’t have much influence outside their areas but it could
spread and prove to be a factor if polls are held soon. Then again, it
can fester and still be a problem later on,” he added.

There has been speculation since June that Bumburing and Lajim would
quit BN and support PR but it did not happen until the past weekend. “It
is a mystery why BN didn’t take action earlier against both of them,”
the Sabah BN source said.

Najib has said over the weekend that he will take action today over
Lajim’s move to drop all party posts. The prime minister has been
focusing on Sabah lately and even announced a much-wanted royal
commission of inquiry (RCI) into the state’s illegals problem although
no terms of reference or composition for the panel have been set yet.

Political analysts say BN has always treated Sabah and Sarawak as a
sure-fire vote bank as it battles to regain the dominant Malay vote in
the peninsula. “The loss of the Malay vote can be countered with votes
from Sabah and Sarawak but now, no one is sure anymore if there is a
fixed deposit,” a political analyst told The Malaysian Insider on condition of anonymity.

UiTM Sabah lecturer Arnold Puyok said last week his research showed
that the BN could lose more up to 14 seats it now holds in the state,
adding the Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan and Pensiangan seats are being
considered “easy wins” for the opposition. “I don’t think the ‘fixed
deposit’ will remain,” he was reported as saying.

Najib’s government has seen a slide in approval ratings with only 42
per cent giving a nod to his administration in a June survey carried out
by the Merdeka Center for Opinion Research in Peninsular Malaysia,
dropping by six percentage points from a month earlier.

But the prime minister remains popular, with a 64 per cent approval
rating in June, down from 65 per cent in May. His predecessor, Tun
Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, went into Election 2008 with a 71 per cent
approval rating but lost the customary two-thirds parliamentary majority
and four states.

Najib is seen as the country’s most hardworking politician with
numerous visits to various districts including the latest round under
the Jelajah Janji Ditepati (Promises Fulfilled Tour) and cash handouts
and pledges to help various demographics.

“Umno needs to make sure both Sabah and Sarawak remain a fixed
deposit and provide the bulk of seats because the Malay vote is split in
the peninsula,” the source added, referring to Umno’s share of only 79
seats in Election 2008.- malaysian insider

Tuaran
MP Wilfred Mojilip Bumburing today announced his decision to leave BN
by quitting the United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation
(Upko), promising to lend support to Pakatan Rakyat.

“I
have discussed this with several of Upko’s supreme council members and
division leaders. We are leaving BN,” said the Upko deputy president at
the launch of Angkatan Perubahan Sabah (APS) in Tuaran.

"I am
still faithful to Upko, but I am resigning from Barisan Nasional," he
told supporters at function in Tuaran this afternoon.

Last week, Bumburing (right) quit as the constituency's BN chairperson without citing any specific reasons.

Today,
he revealed that frustration with BN’s broken promises, especially in
dealing with the escalating number of undocumented immigrants in the
state and the petroleum royalties issue had sparked his move.

The announcement was made on the platform of a newly formed political entity Angkatan Perubahan Sabah (APS).

It was attended by PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim and several Pakatan Rakyat leaders from Peninsula Malaysia.

A
similar gathering will held in Beaufort tonight, where the MP for the
constituency Lajim Ukin and Anwar are expected to address supporters.

Lajim (right) is expected to announce the formation of Pakatan Perubahan Sabah (PPS) which, together with APS, will make up the Sabah Reform Front (SRF).

Dare to Umno

Yesterday, Lajim had quit all his positions in Umno anddared the party to sack him. Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak is expected to remove him as a deputy minister tomorrow.

"This is the mother of all problems in Sabah... the flooding of illegal
immigrants," Bumburing said in a delayed video broadcast on the UStream
TV Merdeka Rakyat website.

"When Sabah agreed to join Malaya to
form Malaysia in 1963, the federal government promised to protect
Sabah," he said adding that Sabah's population then was about 600,000.

In
2010, the population census showed that there are now more than 3.5
million people in Sabah, or a 390 percent increase in just about half a
century, said Bumburing in accusing the federal government of handing
out citizenships arbitrarily.

"When Dr Mahathir (Mohamad) became the prime minister the problems with immigrants were left unheeded.

"We
accept that there is no one country without a migrant population. But I
must stress here that we don't have a problem with those who have moved
here decades ago and followed the right procedure to obtain their
citizenships.

"We are worried about those who came yesterday and managed to get their identification cards today," he said.

Despite countless appeals and memorandums, Bumburing said Putrajaya has kept a pin-drop silence on the issue.

"Waiting
for BN to form the royal commission of inquiry to probe the immigrant
problem is not going to work anymore. Three times Najib (left)
has visited Sabah since he made the announcement that a RCI will be
formed, but until today we have yet to see it happen," he added.

It
is folly to wait for BN to act on Sabah's grouses, warned Bumburing,
calling on those present to vote for the opposition in the upcoming
polls, speculated to be held as soon as September.

Among others
issues highlighted were the lack of action taken in upholding native
customary rights (NCR) and oil royalty privileges.

On the matter
of APS, Bumburing explained that it would be a non-political entity, to
create a platform to network among politicians, aligned to BN's rival
Pakatan Rakyat.

The former Sabah deputy chief minister also
announced that he, together with several others, will embark on a
state-wide tour to promote the opposition's agenda.

"I know how hard it is for Bumburing to exit Upko. He is loyal to the party," said Anwar, in welcoming the move.

In
the 2008 general election, Bumburing defeated PKR's Ansari Abdullah
with a 6,622-vote majority against his nearest rival, who garnered
11,023 votes.

Parliamentary constituencies in Sabah and Sarawak
make up 57 seats of the 222 federal parliamentary seats, where BN won 55
seats against Pakatan MPs Hiew King Cheu (DAP-Kota Kinabalu) and Chong
Chieng Jen (DAP-Bandar Kuching).

BN lost three more
constituencies when Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) left the ruling
coalition with two of its MPs backing the opposition, while DAP's Wong
Ho Leng won Sibu in a by-election, which fell vacant after the death of
Robert Lau Hoi Chew.- malaysiakini

Lajim quits Umno posts, says will work with Pakatan...

Umno supreme council member Datuk Lajim
Ukin announced today he is quitting all party positions to work with
the opposition Pakatan Rakyat (PR) pact in Sabah’s interest, in the
run-up to key national polls.

The Sabah lawmaker said he would leave it to the ruling party to
decide on his Umno membership and his position as deputy minister of
housing and local government.

Lajim was also reported as saying he was not joining the federal
opposition as a party member despite widespread rumours that he would be
defecting to PKR.

“As for my post as deputy minister, that will be decided by Prime Minister (Datuk Seri Najib Razak) at his discretion.

“Meanwhile,
the Umno supreme council will determine my membership in Umno... if
they feel I have violated the party’s regulations then they can dismiss
me,”

Lajim (picture) was quoted by state news agency
Bernama as telling reporters during the breaking of fast at his home in
Likas Jaya, near Kota Kinabalu this evening.

The news agency also reported him publicly declaring the setting up
of a new movement called the Pakatan Perubahan Sabah (PPS), or the Sabah
Reform Front, at the same event, saying the group has a line-up of 17
representatives — one for each parliamentary constituency — in the
state.

Apart from sitting on the Umno supreme council, Lajim was Beaufort
Umno division chief and Beaufort Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman. He said
he was resigning with immediate effect.

The Beaufort MP had last month told reporters the rumour had likely
spread because “I speak like I am in opposition” but that he has made
“no decision to leave and no offer has been made.”

“This is just speculation because I speak like I am in opposition.
But it is not because I am against the government but I want
improvements to my constituency. We have faced problems like flooding
for over 15 years.

“But nothing is impossible in politics. If the public wants me to go,
I will go, if they want me to stay, I will stay,” he had said then.

Lajim also said that because of his independent stance, “the
speculation could have started internally with the intention to sideline
me from BN.”

He had come under fire from Sabah BN secretary Datuk Rahman Dahlan last week for his vocal internal criticism of the coalition.

“There is no room in Barisan and Umno for prima donnas,” Rahman was quoted as saying by The Star on July 20.

“No one is indispensable. People, including prime ministers, have come and gone,” the Kota Belud MP was quoted further.

Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who earlier today
confirmed he was visiting the ruling BN coalition’s eastern stronghold
tomorrow for a mystery function, has deepened speculation of a major
political shift in Sabah.

Anwar’s chief of staff, Ibrahim Yaacob, confirmed to The Malaysian Insider the PKR adviser would be in Beaufort, Lajim’s parliamentary seat, but kept a tight lip on the nature of the function.

“He has just arrived from Medina this morning and will be in Beaufort
tomorrow, but what programmes he will be attending we don’t know,”
Ibrahim said when contacted today.

Anwar has also been mum on the invitation.

Yesterday, Sabah PKR chief Ahmad Tamrin Jaini was reported by news
portal Malaysiakini as saying the party had been invited to attend the
launch of the Sabah Reform Front (SRF), which was organised by Lajim and
Tuaran MP Datuk Seri Wilfred Mojilip Bumburing.

Lajim had quit his post as Kerambai Kebatu Umno branch chief last
month but maintained that he was not leaving the party to join the
opposition, while Bumburing, who is also deputy president of the United
Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation (UPKO), quit his BN
division chief post last week. The latter has been coy of his chances of
crossing over to PKR.

In Sabah, the deep-seated issue of illegal immigrants will likely be
used as a key campaign issue in the coming polls, with the Najib
administration holding the trump card for having finally agreed to
investigate the issue by forming a royal commission of inquiry.

Federal seats in east Malaysia’s Sabah and Sarawak are expected to be
PR’s focal point come the elections as both states, including the
federal territory of Labuan, make up a whopping 57 seats, or 25 per cent
of the 222 parliamentary seats available.

In Election 2008, BN retained power over the Putrajaya administrative
capital largely due to wins in east Malaysia and Labuan, where it made a
near-clean sweep, winning 55 seats against PR’s two.

But the ruling pact lost its customary two-thirds parliamentary
majority after only securing a five-seat margin ahead of PR in the
peninsula, winning in just 85 constituencies while PR secured 80 seats.- malaysian insider

Survey aside, Kedah MB nominee is PM's prerogative...

The survey showing Mukhriz Mahathir as the favourite candidate for Kedah
menteri besar was a good sign in BN’s bid to wrest the state from PAS
control, said Kedah opposition leader Mahdzir Khalid.

“The
components and ingredients of the survey are based on facts, involving
all aspects and demographics of society,” said Mahdzir, who is also
former Kedah menteri besar, in a SMS to Malaysiakini yesterday.

However he reminded that it was up to the PM to select the Kedah MB should BN win the state.

“BN needs to keep working hard; it cannot
be complacent. The appointment of the MB’s post is the sole right of
the PM. Before we talk about posts, a win must be the priority of BN
leaders at all levels,” he said.

Mahdzir (right) was referring to a Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) survey
across 36 state seats in the northern state that reportedly showed
overwhelming support for Mukhriz, the son of former premier Dr Mahathir
Mohamad, for the MB’s post.

The survey predictably got the thumbs
up of BN politicians but the disdain of incumbent PAS Menteri Besar
Azizan Abdul Razak, who rubbished the survey.

Azizan
slammed the academic who conducted the study for behaving more like “BN
low-ranking leaders” than scholars who should be studying more pressing
issues such as electoral fraud.

‘Don’t count chickens...’

Jerlun
Umno division chief Abu Hassan Sharif and Sungai Petani Umno division
head Firdaus Zakaria concurred with Mukhriz that the real focus should
be on winning the state before discussing the candidate for MB.

However,
they stressed that grassroots leaders should give their full
cooperation to Mukhriz or Kedah Umno liaison chief Ahmad Bashah Md
Hanipah should either of them be chosen for the post.

According
to the UUM study, Ahmad Bashah is the second most popular Umno candidate
for the post of Kedah MB, followed by state Umno information chief and a
minister in PM's Department Mohd Jamil Khir Baharom. Mahdzir himself is
in fourth place.

When contacted, Abu Hassan said he hoped Kedah
leaders would agree with the top leadership’s decision on the matter and
avoid “infighting and thus destroying each other”.

“What
is important is that we govern the state and give the best service we
can to the people. This is our goal. We must cooperate to garner (the
people’s) support,” he told Malaysiakini.

Meanwhile,
Firdaus said the Mukhriz-Ahmad Bashah pair was a “good team” to lead
Kedah, pointing out that Jamil and Mahdzir were more “capable and
suitable” to be placed in Parliament or federal government.

Pokok
Sena Umno division chief Ahmad Lebai repeatedly stressed that BN
candidates had to win their seats first, before they can even aspire to
be menteri besar.

“Focus on the election first. Let the MB candidates be determined later by the leadership,” he said.- malaysiakini

From what I understand (will be improved time to time as understanding increases):

Selangor government says:

1.there’s enough raw water as the dams are full (and its raining nearly everyday for last 2 weeks or so)

2.SYABAS is not able to deliver water properly due to loss of water (non-revenue)

3.will take over SYABAS management to improve its services

4.treated water is enough but SYABAS incompetent to deliver the water5.Langat2 WTP is waste of money and that better water management is the way to go

5.it has not gazetted the increased water tariff as per concession agreement with SYABAS (which means no price hike)

6.says SYABAS has no authority to ration water as that comes under state.

SYABAS says:

1.there’s enough raw water but not enough TREATED water.

2.Treated water means already processed by Water Treatment Plants (WTP) to ensure the water is safe for consumption.

3.The raw water from sources (dams) is channelled to WTP and then channelled to homes/industries.

4.its not in charge of water treatment as that falls under state government duties (providing sufficient infrastructure to process raw water fit for consumption). Its job is to channel the treated water to homes/industries. It just pays money to WTP for the treated water.

5.its has informed state government since 2010 about possible shortage of treated water but

6.that state government had not allowed the construction of Langat2 WTP

7.the state government had barred SYABAS from making capital expenditure which resulted in SYABAS unable to undertake work to reduce non-revenue water

8.has applied to SPAN (National Water Commission) to ration water

Notes:

1.state government has 30% stakehold in SYABAS.

2.daily water needs in Klang Valley (plus Putrajaya) is about 4,364 million litres per day (MLD) and the treatment plants’ capacity is 4,371 (MLD)

3.Langat2 expected to supply 1,8900 MLD if constructed and can supply until 2025 before shortage happens again

4.So, what’s the conclusion? Even if allow for new WTP (Langat2) to be built, it will take at least 4 years.-poobalan.com

Khalid tells DPM,Let's meet to resolve water stalemate...

Selangor Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim today said he was prepared
to meet with Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin to resolve the
stalemate on the water issue in the state.

This, he said,
includes accepting the proposed RM8.65 billion Langat 2 water treatment
facility on condition that the federal government give its nod for the
state’s long-stalled water restructuring exercise.

“If you agree
to the restructuring, we incorporate Langat 2 into the restructuring.
Then let’s also get a team to work out the reduction of non-revenue
water and look for other sources of water,” he told Malaysiakini in an interview today.

Khalid explained that the restructuring was essential to stave off a 75 percent hike in water tariff which is compulsory under the existing agreement with Syabas but is currently being blocked by the state government.

Syabas had since taken the case to court, demanding compensation from the state government for preventing the hike which amounts to a staggering RM1.2 billion up to 2010.

“I met Muhyiddin on Friday and he told me he is willing to sit down and talk to me with reference that the people’s interests will be taken care of. I said okay, let’s go ahead. I am waiting for that,” said Khalid.

Khalid said his office will send a letter to Muhyiddin, who chairs the special cabinet committee overseeing the Selangor issue, by Tuesday for a meeting.‘No land for Langat 2 until restructuring done’

On Monday, Muhyiddin had announced that an open tender for the Langat 2 water treatment plant will be called with or without the state government’s consent.

Asked If the Selangor will approve the land for the project, Khalid replied: “Not yet, not until they resolve (the water restructuring first).

“They can do a tender, they can do publicity, we shouldn’t stop them from doing that. But those they can do, they do, those I can do, I do,” he said.

Khalid added that a resolution through the special cabinet committee would be preferable but if all options are exhausted Selangor will take the federal government to court for a judicial review over its decision to block the restructuring exercise.

The water restructuring exercise which is required under the Water Services Act 2006 has already been carried out in Perak, Malacca, Negri Sembilan, Johor and Perlis, but for some reason, Khalid said, was being blocked by the federal government in Selangor.

The exercise will
essentially see all water services in the state taken over from the
private sector and consolidated under a special purpose vehicle. The
infrastructure will subsequently be handed over to the federal
government but will be managed by the state government.

When
consolidated under a single entity under the state government, Khalid
said this would improve efficiency and also solve other water concerns
in the state.- malaysiakini

Kedah Menteri Besar Azizan Abdul Razak has rubbished the study by an
academician that shows BN has a better chance of recapturing Kedah from
PAS in the next general election.

Azizan questioned the role of
the National Council of Professors in focussing on “lame issues” that
favour the BN and said it should be free of political interference.

The study
on Kedahans’ political preference was done by Associate professor
Rohana Yusof from Universiti Utara Malaysia, who presented the result at
a forum organised by the National Council of Professors on Wednesday.

Azizan
said the council should devote its attention to intellectual studies
such as a cleaner election, the issue of phantom voters or how to
develop the state.

“I’m disappointed because the level of thought
of these professors is not much different from BN low-ranking leaders
who focus on lame issues such as the menteri besar candidates,” he was
quoted as saying by Malay daily Sinar Harian.“This is something unfortunate because the intellectual group should study issues that are more serious.”

Azizan
was among Pakatan Rakyat leaders quoted by the daily as questioning the
study, while state opposition leaders lauded the findings as accurate.

Rohana
had reportedly said that the findings were based a survey between
November 2011 until February 2012 involving 10,800 Kedahans, or 300
people picked at random from each polling district. She
found that 54 percent of the respondents felt that the PAS-led
government should not be maintained, and that there was overwhelming
support for Jerlun MP Mukhriz Mahathirto be Azizan’s successor.

However,
a separate and smaller study also presented at the roundtable by
Associate Professor Fuad Mohd Jali from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
found that 50.7 percent of Kedahans would still vote for PAS. - malaysiakini

Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim has been invited to attend the launch
of the Sabah Reform Front in the east Malaysian state this weekend by
two serving BN parliamentarians Lajim Ukin (Beaufort) and Wilfred
Bumburing (Tuaran).

Sabah PKR liaison chief Ahmad Tamrin Jaini, when contacted by Malaysiakini today, confirmed that Anwar would be in Sabah this weekend on its invitation.

“He
has been given the honour of being at the launch of the Sabah Reform
Front,” Ahmad Tamrin said, relating that Anwar was invited by the MPs to
two events, one in Tuaran and the other in Beaufort.

He said these are not PKR events but functions organised by Lajim and Bumburing (right).

Ahmad
Tamrin explained that he was not able to comment on this before as it
was just speculation. However, he received the formal invitations from
both MPs today.

“This is a great development for PKR. It shows
the two MPs may be willing to leave BN and work together with Pakatan to
overthrow BN in Sabah,” Ahmad Tamrin speculated.

Asked if the BN
parliamentarians would announce their move to leave BN or join Pakatan
during the events, the Sabah PKR liaison chief said, "You will have to
wait and see."

However, Lakim Ujin when contacted would only say,
"It is not confirmed yet", before the call was cut off. Further efforts
to contact him until press time have been unsuccessful.

'Disillusioned with the BN'

Speculation
has been raging that Bumburing and Lajim have become disillusioned with
the BN and may jump ship to throw their support behind the opposition.

Lajim has resigned as Kerambai Kebatu Umno chief and did not defend his post as chairperson of the Beaufort Umno division.

Further
fuelling speculation of his intention to leave Umno was his meeting
with PAS spiritual leader Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat in Kota Baru earlier
this week.

Bumburing resigned as Tuaran BN chairperson days ago
and is a member of the political grouping Amanah, which comprises
disgruntled current and former BN leaders.

He has said he would
be making an important announcement that will impact his political
future at an event in Tuaran this weekend.

These developments tally with the analysis
by Sabah UiTM political scientist Arnold Puyok, who said at a recent
forum on Sabah and Sarawak politics that Pakatan, having been
unsuccessful in trying to work with the Sabah faction led by Jeffrey
Kitingan, needed another group to assist it on the ground in the Land
Below The Wind.

Puyok said the earlier alliance failed because
Jeffrey saw Pakatan as unable or unwilling to help him pursue his Borneo
agenda, while Anwar considered Jeffrey a dangerous man because if the
alliance wins, Pakatan would have to help Jeffrey with his regional
agenda.

The analyst predicts that the general election in Sabah will see three-way contests
among BN, Jeffrey's United Borneo Front and Pakatan, which will be
supported by the new SRF that likely to be led by Bumburing.- malaysiakini

A single spark in SABAH could start a prairie fire...

Although it is now the holly fasting month of Ramadan, the
political arena of Sabah is not calm at all. Instead, it is brewing a
tide of resignations.

United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation (Upko) deputy
president and Tuaran MP Datuk Wilfred Bumburing, as well as Umno supreme
council member and Beaufort representative Datuk Lajim Ukin are
expected to announce this Sunday their withdrawal from the BN.

It is also said that they would join the Pakatan Rakyat.

They are holding high party positions and Lajim is even the Deputy
Housing and Local Government Minister. There must be reasons for them to
"sacrifice" the established interests and join the alternative
coalition.

It is heard that Lajim has not been getting well with state Chief
Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman, while Wilfred is dissatisfied with the
BN. Wilfred advocates that Upko should leave the BN, but leaving the
Sabah BN is very likely to lose the opportunity of being fielded in the
next general election.

They have a certain level of influence in their respective constituencies. However, it is still not enough to shake the BN.

Previous failures

In fact, DAP Parliamentary Leader Lim Kit Siang had made a prophecy
on December 24, 2011 that a huge political change would emerge in Sabah
within 24 to 72 hours.

On April 20 this year, Pakatan Rakyat leader Datuk Seri Anwar
Ibrahims also pointed out that a major event would take place in Sabah
within one or two weeks, in which a number of leaders would come forward
to help the Pakatan Rakyat make its way towards Putrajaya.

However, their prophecies were not fulfilled at that time. Some even ridiculed them.

At the end of last year, it was rumoured that Upko president Tan Sri
Bernard Dompok had met the alternative coalition, but it was later
denied by Bernard himself.

In addition, a rumour was triggered after Wilfred gave up to be
reelected as the BN Tuaran chairman, but joined the Tengku Razaleigh
Hamzah-led NGO Angkatan Amanah Merdeka (Amanah).

Musa Aman brickwall

Why no action has been taken so far by BN's central leaders, after
the Pakatan Rakyat spread the news? Could it be because they take it as
another false alarm like the September 16 regime change claim?

It is speculated that the BN might have taken action spending months
to negotiate. However, the negotiation failed due to Musa Aman's tough
stand.

Lajim disclosed an inside story that he had met the Prime Minister
for four times since December 20 last year. He had also told the Deputy
Prime Minister and senior ministers in the Cabinet about the changes
needed by Sabah Umno and BN. However, his view was not taken seriously.

It showed that Musa Aman is an assertive leader. Among Musa, Lajim
and Wilfred, the BN chose the former. Musa, after all, receives greater
support in Sabah compared to the other two.

Don't underestimate: A single spark could start a prairie fire

At this very sensitive moment, deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri
Muhyiddin Yassin's visit to Sabah this Saturday might be related to the
matter. However, based on the Sabah's interest-first political
characteristic, a day trip might not be able to change anything.

It is expected that the Sunday's tide of resignation would not set a
great blow to the BN. However, if the Pakatan Rakyat make use of the
BN's infighting to strengthen the alternative coalition's force or form a
new front, the alternative coalition might be able to win six to eight
parliamentary seats in the coming general election.

It is estimated that if the Pakatan Rakyat is able to make a
breakthrough in the four "fixed deposit" states of the BN, namely Sabah,
Sarawak, Johor and Pahang, and increase its number of seats from the
existing five to 32, it would then have the opportunity to take over the
federal government.

Therefore, do not underestimate a single spark, as it could start a prairie fire. It is another political drama for the people of Sabah and the real fun is yet to come!-Sin Chew Daily

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